Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Lock House
Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Domestic
- Date of designation
- 20 January 1995
- Locality
- Abercynon
- Community
- Abercynon
- Unitary authority
- Rhondda Cynon Taff
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.65535, -3.31673
- Cadw reference
- 15669
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
At the NE community boundary in an area known as Five Locks, just W of the A470 and reached by a track leading down from Goitre Coed Road between Abercynon and Quakers Yard.
History
Probably built c 1795 as a lock-keeper's house for the Glamorganshire Canal. The canal was built to improve communication between the inland ironworks and ports on the Bristol Channel , linking Merthyr Tydfil with Cardiff. Engineered by Thomas Dadford, with principal promoters Richard Crawshay and Francis Homfrey, ironmasters. Act of 1790 authorised the building and canal opened 1794, a length of 25.5 miles (41 km), with 51 locks. When listed in 1995 the house already had a ''modern tiled'' roof, now replaced with artificial slate, ''modern casement glazing'' and a ''modern lean-to porch'', no longer extant.
Exterior
Cottage, extended to left (S), facing line of former Glamorganshire canal, behind front garden with stone wall. Built of brown and grey squared rubble with dressed quoins, left gable end rendered; artificial slate roof with end stacks of snecked dressed stone. Two storeys; a slightly asymmetrical front with windows and door offset to left. Two-window range, glazing replaced, the ground floor windows and centre left doorway under stone lintels which are lightly scored as voussoirs; boarded door.
Interior
Ground floor of cottage converted to a single room. Stairs rise beside fireplace. Central doorway is blocked behind door.
Reason for designation
Listed notwithstanding modernisation for its historic interest as a surviving lock house associated with former Glamorganshire Canal.
Nearby in the register
- Victoria Bridge, Penydarren TramroadNo class recordedunder 1 mi
- Quakers Yard Railway ViaductTransportunder 1 mi
- Greenfield Bridge, Penydarren TramroadTransportunder 1 mi
- BerthlwydDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.